Product Description

Your God is Too Safe thoughtfully explores why Christians get stuck in the place of complacency, dryness, and tedium and how to move on to new levels of spiritual passion! Buchanan shows how most Christians begin their spiritual journey with excitement and enthusiasm only to get bogged down in a "borderland"---an in-between space beyond the "old life" but short of the abundant, adventurous existence promised by Jesus. Citing Jonah, Buchanan examines the problem of "borderland living" where doubt, disappointment, guilt, and wonderlessness keep people in a quagmire of mediocrity. He then offers effective solutions to get unstuck and move into a bold, unpredictable, exhilarating walk with Christ.

Publisher's Description

Here's a thoughtful, probing exploration of why Christians get stuck in the place of complacency, dryness, and tedium -- and how to move on to new levels of spiritual passion! Buchanan shows how the majority of Christians begin their spiritual journey with excitement and enthusiasm -- only to get bogged down in a "borderland" -- an in-between space beyond the "old life" but short of the abundant, adventurous existence promised by Jesus. Citing Jonah, he examines the problem of "borderland living" -- where doubt, disappointment, guilt, and wonderlessness keep people in a quagmire of mediocrity -- then offers solutions ... effective ways to get unstuck and move into a bold, unpredictable, exhilarating walk with Christ. Inspired writing!

Author Bio

Mark Buchanan is a pastor and freelance writer/editor who lives with his wife, Cheryl, and three children on the west coast of Canada. Educated at the University of British Columbia and Regent University, he has been published in numerous periodicals, including Christianity Today and Books and Culture.

Publisher's Weekly

Canadian pastor and first-time author Buchanan says that he "hit the ground
running" when he first became a Christian. He got involved in a church, taught
Sunday school and read his Bible regularly. Then things got rote. Buchanan was,
in a word, "stuck." But he had friends who weren't stuck: the elderly widow who
seemed full of spiritual joy, a multiple sclerosis patient with a broken body
but a strong faith. So Buchanan set out to write a book that would explain why
many Christians fail to progress spiritually and why only a few grow stronger
in faith. He concludes that believers reach a plateau when they think God is
too cuddly and (as the title suggests) safe. The literary conceit of this
narrative is all too familiar in evangelical Christian books: the church is
full of euphemism and afloat on pat answers, but this bold, new author is going
to be refreshingly honest about how difficult his own faith walk has been.
Buchanan may be honest, but the tactic is stale. Equally banal are Buchanan's
tips for "breaking free": Don't boast about your good deeds. Read the Bible.
Confess when you've sinned. Pray. Perhaps his only innovative advice is that
Christians take up fasting, a biblical activity that has become increasingly
popular among contemporary evangelicals. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business
Information.

Mark Buchanan writes with clarity and purpose. He does not want readers to simply go through his books. Rather, the author wants to challenge you and make you think. He uses Scripture, often parts we may have skimmed over or not truly thought enough about, to frame his argument. Then, on that foundation he builds with images and word pictures to give you a visual you can see and understand. Through his own experiences, Buchanan shows us how to actually apply the teaching to our own lives.

One among a handful of books that I highly recommend. Bewildered Christians take heart- if you have a holy discontent with the average American church- and/or your own faith has become domesticated- read this book.

Depending on where you are in your hunger and pursuit of God, this book could be a life changer. If you're complacent and happen to pick it up, you'll be very uncomfortable. If you're hungry and searching for fuel, you just found a feast!

This is powerful, rip-your-old-spiritually-dead-skin-off stuff, but with the practical (though unsurprising) tools for growing new cells and leaving what Buchanan aptly labels "borderland." I read this book on a personal retreat in succession with Eugene Peterson's "A Long Obedience In The Same Direction" and Jerry Bridges' "The Pursuit Of Holiness." Masochistic, yes, but in a good way; obviously, both God and my conscience were telling me to heed the similar message given, though differently, by all three books: that slow and steady -- and disciplined -- wins the race. If you're looking for challenging spiritual food, Buchanan may be your chef. (He's not safe, but he's good.)